I am trying to find information about my great grandfather Lane Brown aka Richard Bert Merrill. Per his military records which show he enlisted in Oklahomaand born in Tennesse. he had a step-mom listed on his military records from Ottomwa Iowa named Alice Brown but no listing as to father or birth mother. Per his military records he is listed as Negro but my mother states he said he was 1/2 Cherokee also. We have no records before he went into the military. He was born Jan 11 1889 and list being born in Oklahoma, If there is anyone that has knowlege of an Alice Brown and maybe growing up with a Lane Brown please email me Lsoulmate4evr@msn.com.

He eventually made it to AK and changed his name to Richard Bert Merrill and married a Native girl but we r trying to find the actual heritage of my grandfather.